


Of Limpets, Lemurs, and Love

by thisiswherethefishlives



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Lemurs, M/M, Mack didn't always work at SHIELD, Mack is a good friend, did I mention lemurs?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:16:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisiswherethefishlives/pseuds/thisiswherethefishlives
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Fitz clings like a limpet, Mack has some connections, and the world stops falling apart for just a moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Limpets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isisanubis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isisanubis/gifts).



It's been two months since the fallout with the Inhumans. Two months since he was put in charge of the alien artifacts and two months since Simmons had disappeared without a trace. It's two months longer than Mack was supposed to be hanging around, but here he is, trying to drag Fitz to bed before he collapses from exhaustion.

"C'mon, Turbo. You're not gonna do anyone any good if you don't get any sleep. I know that, you know that, and you know that Simmons would say the same thing if she were still here."

Mack can see the flinch as it works its way over Fitz's body, but he's given up on shying away from the elephant in the room. He knows firsthand what it was like for Fitz when Simmons left the first time - he knows about the hallucinations and the isolation. This time, though, he's got Mack from the start, and Mack's not about to let Fitz lose himself again.

With one arm wrapped around Fitz's shoulders, Mack takes the tablet out of Fitz's hands before leading the smaller man towards their living quarters. There's no fight left in Fitz at this point - he's been awake for days with nothing more than a nap or two to keep him going. It's not good.

Fitz doesn't say anything during their walk, and Mack doesn't try to push, but he can't help but miss their banter. It used to be so easy between them, but then Simmons had come back... and, of course, everything went to hell when the team found out about Gonzales' SHIELD and Mack's dual loyalties. God knows, they can't turn back time, but it hurts to know that Mack will probably never get back to that ease with Fitz again.

Hell, it's been months since the last time he's seen the engineer's smiles reach his eyes.

They're at Fitz's door in what feels like a blink of an eye, and it says something about how tired Fitz is that he doesn't say anything about the spare key that Mack's been carrying around for situations just like this. Mack's careful to keep Fitz close as he finagles the door open, and he doesn't let go when they shuffle inside until Fitz is sat on the edge of the bed.

From there, Mack makes quick work of Fitz's boots and cardigan before gently prodding Fitz until he crawls under the blankets. It's not the first time that Mack's put Fitz to bed, and he's sure that it won't be the last... at least, not until they get Simmons back, but that's another story entirely.

It's only when he's turning around to shut off the light that Fitz speaks up.

"Please don't leave."

Mack takes a deep breath before turning off the lights and toeing off his shoes. He's not worried about the grease in his clothes or how uncomfortable he'll be in the morning after sleeping in his jeans. No, he's not worried about that at all as he slips under the covers beside Fitz, settling in for a long night as the other man clings to him like a limpet. The only think he has the energy to worry about is the man that's currently wrapped around Mack like he's got Mack wrapped around his little finger.

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere, Turbo. Get some sleep."

It doesn't take long before Fitz is snoring softly into Mack's shoulder, but all Mack can think about is how to make his friend smile... because that's what Fitz is. He's a friend, and as much as Mack would like to take their relationship to the next level, he's not about to get in the middle of what Fitz has with Simmons. She'll be back, after all. She always comes back... Mack just needs to keep Fitz whole until then.


	2. Lemurs

The thing that no one seems to realize is that SHIELD isn’t the only gig out there. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the agency goes straight from high school to the academy – some people, like Mack, fall into it accidentally after a long series of odd jobs. Mack may not have joined SHIELD with a genius-level IQ and a series of degrees, but he did come with connections.

There’s Joe, who owned the first garage that Mack ever worked for back in Connecticut. He’s the smallest man that Mack’s ever met, but his laugh is the biggest and brightest that he’s ever seen. Joe may not have intel worth delving into, but he’s always good for a cup of coffee and a place to stay in hard times.

For awhile, after apprenticing with Joe, Mack maintained the ambulance for a small corps out in Indiana. He only worked there for a couple of years, but once you’re part of the corps you’re family. Last he heard, Amanda was heavily pregnant, but she was still working dispatch with an iron fist and a cool head.

It never really mattered where Mack ended up, what job he took, or how long he stayed - he always landed on his feet, and he always found himself in the company of good people. He still gets Christmas cards from some of them, and that’s gotta count for something, even against the cold, intellectual professionalism of the FitzSimmons Wall’o Degrees®. 

He may not have the pedigree that most of his teammates seem to have, but he’s got ties to people across the country in all different walks of life. Most importantly, he’s got some favors to cash in, and he’s finally got a reason to use them.

Flipping through his address book, it doesn’t take long to find Wes’ number – it doesn’t matter how many times Fitz gets on Mack’s case to stop using the outdated system, it feels good to write out the information for each person by hand… it makes the connections more real. The weight of his address book is a heavy reminder of all the people who have touched his life, and that’s better than a contacts app any day.

As quick as it was to find Wes’ number, it takes even less time for Mack to plug it into his phone. From there it’s just one ring, two, and then straight to voicemail – the whole thing’s familiar enough to have Mack smiling into the receiver.

“Hey, man, it’s Mack! Long time no talk, right? I know that you’re screening your calls, so get back to me when you get a chance – I have a favor to call in, and I need your connections to the DLC. It’s important, so… call me back.”

“What’s so important that it’s got you leaving shady messages?”

Mack can’t help but jump at Fitz’s comment, phone dropping from his hand like a hot potato only to clatter to the desk – he had been so caught up in leaving the message for Wes that he hadn’t heard the smaller man walk into the garage. It’s a surprise, to say the least, but it’s a good one. There’s laughter in Fitz’s voice and a smile on his lips… he’s _gorgeous_ in the moment, but as much as Mack would love to spill his secrets for another smile, he’s not about to ruin the surprise before he’s gotten it up and running.

It’s time to call upon one of Gramma Mackenzie’s famous diversionary techniques: answering a question with a question.

“ _Shady_ , huh? You wanna tell me why you’re sticking your curly little head in my business?”

The small smile Fitz had on his face in the beginning slips away only to be replaced with something a little more tense and nervous, and Mack wants to slap himself because he should have come up with something that didn’t sound so defensive. Now he’s got Fitz looking guarded again, and it churns something deep in Mack’s stomach because it’s like he’s been transported to how things were when his betrayal was still fresh.

“I didn’t mean to pry. I _wouldn’t_ … I- nevermind.”

Just like he came in, Fitz is out the door before Mack can process it. The only thing that he _can_ process at this point is how hurt Fitz had sounded before he bolted.

Mack’s halfway out of his chair to run after him when the damn phone starts ringing, a nine-one-nine area code flashing across the display in bright green text. It’s tempting to let it ring, but then Mack forces himself to think about the bigger picture. If he can do this _one_ thing for Fitz, it might help lessen the hurt he’s been carrying around in Simmons’ absence. It won’t fix anything… but it might bring Fitz a little joy, and Mack would do anything to make him smile.

Guilt churning in his stomach, Mack picks up the phone before sinking back into his chair. He’ll find Fitz later, when everything’s settled, and he’ll make it right. For now, though, Mack’s gotta talk to a man about some lemurs.


	3. That Other Thing

It’s not that Mack is afraid of Fitz. He’s really, _really_ not, but there’s a churning in Mack’s gut that feels an awful lot like fear as he stands in front of Fitz’s door, laptop clutched like a shield in front of him. It’s less a fear of Fitz and more of a constant anxiety that Mack is going to let Fitz down again. Between the fiascos of Gonzalez’s SHIELD, the various lies Mack has told from the beginning, and the way that he bungled the conversation the other day, Mack feels like the king of disappointment. Hell, he’ll probably have ulcers by his next physical the way he’s been going… and yeah, that’s not the most fun train of thought in the world, but then Fitz is opening the door and all thoughts of ulcers and disappointment fly out of Mack’s brain.

“Hey, Turbo. You got some time to spare? I’ve got something that you’ll wanna see.”

Fitz smiles at that before nodding, opening the door wide enough for Mack to come through before shutting it tight.

“You do know that I have my own computer, don’t you?”

There’s a teasing lilt to Fitz’s voice, and it’s so like the last time that Mack has to fight back a grimace. This time, he’s not going to make Fitz uncomfortable… no more diversionary tactics, no more answering questions with questions, and _hopefully_ no more putting sad looks on Fitz’s face. Mack makes his way to the foot of Fitz’s bed before booting up his laptop and beckoning Fitz closer.

“Yeah, yeah. Stop nagging me about my poor life choices and get over here.”

Fitz settles down without further comment, knees bouncing distractedly and shoulder brushing against Mack’s. He’s a force of energy, all wide-eyes and bitten lips, and if Mack didn’t know better… if it weren’t for whatever was going on between Fitz and Simmons, Mack would press in to find out just what those lips taste like.

There’s a lot of things that Mack would do if things were different, but they aren’t… and it’s fine, because if all he can be to Fitz is a friend, he’s going to be the best damn friend the kid has ever known.

“So, remember that shady call you walked in of the tail end of? I was calling in a favor.”

Without explaining further, Mack pulls up the Duke Lemur Center’s home page and clicks on the Streaming link. It takes a second to plug in the password that Wes set up (Lola4Ever… seriously, Mack tells the guy about the car _once_ and it’s already a running joke).

It takes a moment for the video to kick in, but then there’s a flurry of movement on the screen as a troop of lemurs race by. According to the text at the bottom of the screen, they are looking in on a Black & White Ruffed Lemur habitat, but all Mack cares about is the way that Fitz is beaming at the screen, hands clasped in glee as he takes it all in. The lemurs chase after each other, leaping from tree limb to tree limb and hooting with abandon.

It’s cute, and it’s fun, and it’s the first time that Mack’s seen Fitz smile in months - _really_ smile, with his entire face. Hell, the way that Fitz is bouncing around and leaning close to the laptop, he’s pretty much smiling with his entire body as he watches the lemurs go wild.

Fitz watches the lemurs, Mack watches Fitz, and it’s good. It’s the best time that Mack can remember having in a long time, and he’d be happy to stay there for hours.

Eventually though, Fitz leans back, props himself on his elbows and cranes his neck back far enough to really look at Mack. It’s such a difference from how he was just a moment before, serious and contemplative assessment taking over where his smile had just been shining.

“Your shady phone call was about lemurs? I thought it was something _serious_ … like, maybe you scratched Lola and wanted to arrange a paint job on the sly… or maybe you were talking with _another_ rogue branch of SHIELD. Lemurs seem a bit out of left field.”

Mack can feel his face warm under Fitz’s scrutiny, and it’s tempting to just brush it off, but he owes Fitz an explanation… probably will for the rest of his life. After everything that Fitz has been through, the least that Mack can be is transparent.

“Yeah, uh… did I ever tell you that I used to volunteer for the Duke Lemur Center when I was in high school? My family used to move around a lot, but we settled down in North Carolina for my senior year and my mom used her church connections to get me a volunteer position there.”

Fitz’s mouth has lost the look of contemplation in favor of falling open into a near-perfect circle. There’s a serious urge to press forward to kiss it off Fitz’s face, but Mack focuses instead on explaining.

“I was only there for a year or so, stayed on a bit after graduation before moving on, but the place made an impression on me and I did my best to keep in contact. The people there… it kinda felt like SHIELD used to… like a family, you know? One of the guys there owed me a favor, so I called it in, asked if he could set up a streaming video channel.”

“But… why?”

There’s a pause there, and Mack wishes that there was an easy answer. He could tell Fitz that he did it because Simmons is gone and Fitz needs some joy in his life. He could tell Fitz that he’s been looking for an excuse to get back into contact with Wes… or he could tell Fitz that he did it because Mack’s been in love with him from the beginning.

“I did it because I haven’t seen you smile - _really_ smile - in a long time, Turbo… and, you know, Coulson’s still pretty firm on not letting us get a monkey for the lab, so I figured that this would be the next best thing. At least for now.”

It’s probably more than Mack should have said, but the words want to come out now that he’s started. Mack wants to tell Fitz about all the research that he did on monkeys since he met Fitz, and he wants to tell him about the way his palms itch just thinking about holding Fitz’s hands. There’s so much more that Mack wants to say, but then Fitz is leaning in close enough so that Mack can feel the heat that he’s radiating. He’s only shifted a few inches, but it’s suddenly warm enough that Mack’s about seventy percent sure he could fry an egg in the space between them. They’re so close now, and Mack wants to get lost in the blue of Fitz’s eyes - he probably _would_ if he wasn’t so distracted by the way Fitz’s eyes are darting all around Mack’s face.

“You’re incredibly fond of me, aren’t you?”

Fitz’s voice has gone warm and breathy, and it’s all that Mack can do to nod in agreement. The smile that blooms across Fitz’s face is so different from the one he had worn while watching the lemurs - it’s tiny and fond, and Mack finds himself struck by how _blue_ Fitz’s eyes are when they’re smiling too.

Mack presses forward, and it’s such a slight movement, but it feels like he’s risking everything as they work together to close the distance between them.

“Yeah, Turbo. I am.”

Warm fingers trace along Mack’s jaw before Fitz brings his palms up to cradle Mack’s face between them.

“I think I’m going to kiss you now, Mack. I just thought you should know.”

There’s a moment between them where it’s just quiet, and it’s clear that Fitz is waiting for a sign that this isn’t what Mack wants, but it’s just a moment. Carefully, Fitz closes the distance between them like they’ve got all the time in the world, lingering a hair’s breadth away before pressing a kiss to Mack’s lips.

Fireworks don’t go off, the room doesn’t spin, and the only soundtrack that plays along is the rambunctious noises being piped in through Mack’s laptop. It’s not like any movie that Mack’s ever seen, but it’s still the most perfect first kiss that he’s ever had. It’s chaste, and it’s warm, and it’s _Fitz_ … really, it’s everything that Mack’s wanted since he first stumbled into Fitz’s lab and managed to annoy him within seconds of introductions.

Laptop balanced carefully on his knees, Mack allows himself to melt into the warmth of Fitz’s hands, and lips, and shoulders. He gives himself over to the feeling of loving Fitz as the lemurs play loudly in the background.


End file.
